Painting a dinghy.

[paulburton44]

I have just bought a wooden sailing dinghy. The existing paint is in good condition without any flaking etc.
There are a few scratches and runs and I don't like the colour.
I want to paint it with a 2 pack paint. The boat will be inside and I can have a couple of fan heaters running.
Now what prep will be needed ? I thought a good sand with a electric sander, undercoat then top coat !

Will that do the trick.?
What is the best way apply the paint, brush, roller or pad ?

Thanks Paul.

 

[Csail]

I got a really good result using International Toplak applied with roller then going over it with those foam paint brush things.

 

[xtiffer]

Be very careful; two pack paint is normally incompatible with one pack underneath. Only use it if you are sure that existing paint is 2 pack.
Otherwise remove existing paint.
Toplac is a good all-rounder and user friendly.
However if you are a perfectionist then hire a painter and Awlgrip it
Cheers,
Chris

 

[VicS]

As said two pack paint cannot normally be applied over a conventional single pack paint. Maybe if a barrier coat is applied first ??
Check the manufacturers website for application instructions for any paint you may be thinking of using.

I repaint my small plywood tender every year with Dulux! Been doing that since originally built in 1978 ... no reason as far as I can see for changing.

I used to paint my sailing dinghy (Mirror) with an International single pack polyurethane. Marginally better than the Dulux perhaps but difficult to say because one spends most of its summertime life upside down in the boat yard exposed to the elements. The other is kept at home and is covered up when not in use.

 

[Cliveshep]

Heck, I use Dulux Weathershield on the hull of my Ocean 30, repainted this year after 5 years, not because it flaked but because I'd managed to scuff and score it on the local waterways. Interestingly, having sanded it a bit, made good gouges with 2-pack filler and touched up only those places with Brewers Albany undercoat (same cheap muck as I'd used 5 years ago), when it came to over paint with another coat of gloss it was actually difficult to see where I'd been, no yellowing or any colour degradation at all.

By contrast, for hard wear under feet I always do the top-sides in a 2-pack polyurethane (Bradite from Brewers) which always looks good and shiny and is harder wearing but still discolours and stains as the Dulux did when I first used that on topsides but found it was not hard enough for tramping over.

If you want to use a two pack like Bradite, they offer a specification for going over other unknown paints which allows for the use of a primer coat. Otherwise, Weathershield is good for boats kept ashore under cover (which my Ocean definitely is not!)

 

[Lakesailor]

I just used Blakes onepot (I think it was Yacht Enamel at the time) over Blakes undercoat. I painted it with a brush. Get the paint warm (about 60° F, by keeping it in the house for a day or two) and brush it slowly and carefully, finishing on a down stroke. Don't wear anything that will shed lint or that hasn't been washed a few times to avoid hairs in the finish and use a Tac rag (or lint free cloth and white spririt) to wipe it down after flatting the primer to get rid of all dust. Use a good quality brush that has already been used and cleaned to avoid it shedding loose hairs.
Don't expect it to be hard enough to handle for a week.

That's how I did my 50 year-old Heron